Our Rolling Hills Garden Program
At Rolling Hills we love being outdoors in our gardens! We feel
strongly that children need to be connected to our earth and that the
experience of working in the garden can profoundly impact students for
a lifetime.
Teachers bring all areas of the curriculum into the garden and
students can be found reading, writing, doing math,
learning about science, and making all sorts of
hands-on connections to their learning. We believe that time
spent in the garden enhances the educational
experiences of our students and many students report that it
is one of their favorite places on campus to learn. We grow
many varieties of vegetables in our gardens and also
grow some fruits. Students have the opportunity to taste
what they grow and some of our produce finds its way to
our twice-monthly Garden Stand.
Educational philosophers from as far back as the 17th
century have encouraged
gardening with children to not only
support learning objectives, but also to stimulate the mental,
emotional, and social development of children. Children thrive in
our gardens and we see the benefits of encouraging sustainable gardening and its extension to our wider community.
We
are currently planning for a new garden, our largest yet! This newest
garden will be about 1/3 of an acre in size and has been designed
with extensive input from all members of our school community. It will
include winding paths, outdoor classroom space, and lots of garden beds
for growing all sorts of veggies. We will also expect to plant some
fruit trees as well and are expecting to begin installation in early
2012.
We have a committed group of parents and community members who support
our garden program through fundraising and hands-on work. Wondering how
to get involved? We are looking for volunteers to help in the following
ways:
- Planning and Design of Our Garden
- Kids Garden Club Volunteer Support
- Grant Writers and Donation Generators
- Volunteer in Our Garden – Digging, Weeding, Seeding!
- Classroom Garden Curriculum Support – Bring students into the garden with great curriculum ideas!
Please contact our office for more information or to schedule a garden tour with our principal, Mrs. Schmalfeld.
